cageymaru
Fully [H]
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2003
- Messages
- 22,054
Google has admitted in a letter to Congress that it still allows apps to data mine Gmail accounts, read emails, and share user data freely with others by using tools provided by Google. These tools allow 3rd party companies to access data about purchases, travel, family and friendship interactions. Employees at the app companies regularly read emails from Gmail accounts to create better software algorithms that ultimately choose better targeted ads.
"'Developers may share data with third parties so long as they are transparent with the users about how they are using the data,' Susan Molinari, the company's vice president for public policy and government affairs for the Americas, wrote in the letter." Google already buys credit card data and location matches consumers to local purchases.
Some of those apps share email data with partners, who use it to understand the behavior of users and improve their ability to target ads to them. When users sign up to Earny, a tool that compares receipts in inboxes to prices across the web, their inboxes are also scanned by the computers of a different company, Return Path Inc., which collects data for marketers.
Google's statement to Congress suggests that the company is fine with arrangements like these, as long as Earny tells users what is happening with their data. Return Path and Earny have both said they give users clear notice about the email monitoring. Earny's privacy policy states that Return Path would "have access to your information and will be permitted to use that information according to their own privacy policy."
"'Developers may share data with third parties so long as they are transparent with the users about how they are using the data,' Susan Molinari, the company's vice president for public policy and government affairs for the Americas, wrote in the letter." Google already buys credit card data and location matches consumers to local purchases.
Some of those apps share email data with partners, who use it to understand the behavior of users and improve their ability to target ads to them. When users sign up to Earny, a tool that compares receipts in inboxes to prices across the web, their inboxes are also scanned by the computers of a different company, Return Path Inc., which collects data for marketers.
Google's statement to Congress suggests that the company is fine with arrangements like these, as long as Earny tells users what is happening with their data. Return Path and Earny have both said they give users clear notice about the email monitoring. Earny's privacy policy states that Return Path would "have access to your information and will be permitted to use that information according to their own privacy policy."